Cancer institute in Lucknow soon: Akhilesh

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday announced to set up a cancer institute in the state capital soon to cater to patients suffering from the disease.

"The number of cancer patients is increasing and it was need of the hour to provide them quality treatment. To cater to the patients, we are going to set up a cancer institute in the state capital," Yadav said while addressing convocation ceremony at King George`s medical university here.

The chief minister said hurdles faced by the university in terms of lack of facilities had been removed by the government and the institute had started progressing.

"The name of the university was also a hurdle. We have again restored name KGMU for the second time. I hope there will be no problem in the development of institution now," Yadav said while referring to recent change of name to KGMU from Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj medical University.

Promising help to the university in establishment of paramedical institute, Yadav said Rs 120 crore would be spent on the project.

He also said a satellite campus of the renowned university would be opened soon but did not elaborate.

On the occasion, President Pranab Mukherjee gave medals to 15 toppers in various fields including Deepansh Dalela, who was given Hewett gold and chancellor`s medal for MBBS 2012.

The chief minister said the state government had provided land for setting up of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Rae Bareli and it would open there.

He said he wished that institutes like AIIMS should also open in backward areas of the state like Bundelkhand, Ruhelkhand and Poorvanchal.